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Tadasana (Mountain Pose)

Method

Step 1: Stand with your feet together or hip width (one foot) apart as per your comfort; keep your heels fixed on the floor and stretch the arch of the feet as if you are trying to create more gaps in your arch. Press the big toe mount and the little toe mount on the floor firmly. Your toes are off the floor. Stretch your toes away from each other and towards your body trying to stretch your metatarsals further out. Maintaining the stretch, softly drop your toes on the floor (toes remain in a contracted state for a longer period of time especially among those who wear closed shoes regularly, this stretch alone will help increase oxygen rich blood flow to that area).

Step 2: Contract your thighs (knee caps get pulled up) at the back and visualize that you are pulling your muscle fibers of the thighs into the groin. In the same process, you are also contracting your hips and tucking your tummy in by lifting your groin and lower abdomen towards the ribs.Maintain the alignment of your pelvis (visualize the situation when you tuck your navel into your spine while trying to fit into a tight jeans).

Step 3: Inhale, puff up your chest as if you are raising it to the ceiling and immediately pull the ribs below that into the spine; raise your shoulders up towards your earlobes, push it at the back and allow your shoulder blades (checking for scapula balance) alone (not shoulders) to slide down (this will take care of the thoracic region and will keep it relaxed and tension free).

Step 4: Your head is over your shoulders standing on the neck and the neck on your spine. Keep your chin parallel to the floor; ear lobes are almost in line with the shoulders (this will take care of your cervical area and keep it aligned & relaxed). Your shoulders are above your hips, your hips above your knees and your knees above your ankle.

Step 5:Your legs are firmly grounded to the floor. Pushing your feet down to the floor, lengthen your body from the bottom to the top of the head. Lengthen your arms and raise it up sideways to get the right arm close to the right ear and the left arm close to the left ear while at the same time moving your body weight on the toes and getting your heels off the floor.

Step 6: Bring your arms in Namaste position at the top of your head, fix your eyes in front at one point. Arms are tall, armpits are stretched; lower back is firm and lifted up along with your hips; the whole body is lifted up; you are standing on your toes; hold the position with normal breathing for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Release slowly in reverse order.

Breathing

Move into the posture with inhalation

Maintain Normal Breathing when you are holding the posture

Release the posture with exhalation

Benefits

Learn to stand correctly: This is a fundamental pose which teaches you the art of standing correctly.

Develops Symmetry and Balance: The alignment helps develop muscular balance and symmetry. We become aware of postural alignment that helps ward off many lifestyle related problems like back pain, knee pain, sciatica etc.

Height Improvement: Improves height especially if performed from childhood